Magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus

ABSTRACT

A magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus includes an open-ended cartridge housing which includes means for connecting to an engine block, inflow ports for receiving oil flow from the engine block, and an outflow port for sending filtered oil to the engine block. A block-to-housing sealing gasket is connected to the open-ended cartridge housing for providing a seal between the open-ended cartridge housing and the engine block. Direction control baffles are housed inside the open-ended cartridge housing for directing inflow oil for magnetic treatment and for directing magnetically-treated oil to the outflow port. A cartridge-housing lid, a lid-to-housing sealing gasket, and a magnet assembly unit are provided. A peripheral clamping assembly is provided for clamping the magnet assembly unit, the lid-to-housing sealing gasket, and the cartridge-housing lid to the open-ended cartridge housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to oil filters for vehicles, and, more particularly, to oil filters that have magnetic enhancement of oil filtration.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The magnetic enhancement of oil filtration with oil filters installed on vehicles is well known in the art. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,053 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,75.8,969, both by present inventor, Joseph C. Caiozza, disclose magnetic enhancement of oil filtration.

More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,053 discloses an oil filter that has magnet units attached thereto. Each magnet unit has a magnet unit lock pin reception channel. A pair of magnet unit support members are attached to the bottom of a conventional oil filter. Each magnet unit support member has a support member lock pin reception channel. To attach the magnet units to the oil filter, the magnet unit lock pin reception channels and the support member lock pin reception channels are placed in registration, and a lock pin is inserted through the registered lock pin reception channels. Because there are only two magnet unit support members, and because each magnet unit support member has only one reception channel, forces keeping magnet units attached to the oil filter are spread over only two support member reception channels. This concentration of supporting forces on only two reception support member reception channels can prematurely wear those reception channels and accelerate failure. In this respect, it would be desirable if a magnet unit assembly were attached to an oil filter with a more stable arrangement than a pair of support member lock pin reception channels.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,969 discloses a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus in which a magnet assembly is kept in place on an outside housing by using a retention rod which is threaded through retention plates and retention-rod-reception brackets for fixing a disk-shaped magnet and a flux concentrator plate on the cartridge housing. A cotter pin is used to secure the retention rod to the retention plates and the retention-rod-reception brackets. It is noted that only two opposite locations around the cartridge housing are used for securing the retention rod, the retention plates, and the retention-rod-reception brackets on the cartridge housing. Rather than having only two opposite locations around the cartridge housing for securing the various components onto the cartridge housing, it would be desirable if substantially the entire periphery of the cartridge housing were employed for securing components related to the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus thereto.

With both U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,649,053 and 6,758,969, cotter pins, or the like, must be threaded through complementary reception channels in retention rods to secure a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus onto a cartridge housing. Because a reception channel may be quite small, and because it may difficult to see such a reception channel when a cartridge housing is installed on an engine block, it would desirable if means were provided for securing components of a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus onto a cartridge housing without the need to employ a cotter pin and a cotter pin reception channel in a retention rod.

When a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus is employed, at times it may be desirable to remove metal particles that are inside an oil filter portion and that are pulled toward a magnet assembly. To remove such particles, it would be desirable to separate the magnet assembly from the oil filter portion and to separate the portion of the oil filter that retains the metal particles from the cartridge housing. As just described, functionally one would expect there to be two separate and distinct connection means involved. A first connecting means for connecting the magnet assembly to the oil filter portion and a second, separate and distinct, connecting means for connecting the oil filter portion to the cartridge housing. For purposes of simplicity and economy of materials and labor involved, it would be desirable if the two separate and distinct connecting means could be combined into single connecting means that perform the two functions of connecting the magnet assembly to the oil filter portion and of connecting the oil filter portion to the cartridge housing.

Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides a magnet unit assembly that is attached to an oil filter with a more stable arrangement than a pair of support member lock pin reception channels; (2) employs substantially the entire periphery of a cartridge housing for securing components related to the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus thereto; (3) provides means for securing components of a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus onto a cartridge housing without the need to employ a cotter pin and a cotter pin reception channel in a retention rod; and (4) provides single connecting means that perform the two functions of connecting the magnet assembly to the oil filter portion and of connecting the oil filter portion to the cartridge housing. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus which includes an open-ended cartridge housing which includes means for connecting to an engine block, inflow ports for receiving oil flow from the engine block, and an outflow port for sending filtered oil to the engine block. A block-to-housing sealing gasket is connected to the open-ended cartridge housing for providing a seal between the open-ended cartridge housing and the engine block. Direction control baffles are housed inside the open-ended cartridge housing for directing inflow oil for magnetic treatment and for directing magnetically-treated oil to the outflow port. A cartridge-housing lid, a lid-to-housing sealing gasket, and a magnet assembly unit are provided. A peripheral clamping assembly is provided for clamping the magnet assembly unit, the lid-to-housing sealing gasket, and the cartridge-housing lid to the open-ended cartridge housing.

Preferably, the peripheral clamping assembly includes a cartridge-housing engagement portion, a lid-to-housing-sealing-gasket engagement portion, and a magnet-assembly-unit engagement portion.

Preferably, the magnet assembly unit includes a clamp-member-reception notch.

Preferably, the means for connecting to an engine block include an internally threaded portion for connecting to an externally threaded engine portion.

Preferably, filtration means are housed within the open-ended cartridge housing.

Preferably, the open-ended cartridge housing includes a housing end lip. Also, the cartridge-housing lid includes a lid lip, and the lid-to-housing sealing gasket is placed between the lid lip and the housing end lip, whereby the peripheral clamping assembly clamps the lid-to-housing sealing gasket between the housing end lip and the lid lip. Thereby, a liquid seal is formed between the open-ended cartridge housing and the cartridge-housing lid.

Preferably, the peripheral clamping assembly includes a pair of concave clamping members. Each clamping member includes a cartridge-housing engagement portion, a lid-to-housing-sealing-gasket engagement portion, and a magnet-assembly-unit engagement portion. A hinge connects the clamping members together, and an over-center-toggle lock unit is connected to the clamping members.

Preferably, the over-center-toggle lock unit includes a handle member that is connected to one of the clamping members. A hook-to-handle ring is connected to the handle member, and a hook located at an end portion of the other of the clamping members.

Preferably, the over-center-toggle lock unit further includes a cotter pin and respective registrable cotter-pin-reception channels in the handle member and one of the clamping members.

Preferably, the lid-to-housing sealing gasket includes a housing-end-lip contact portion, a unit-lip contact portion, and a clamping-member contact portion.

With a preferred embodiment, the magnet assembly unit includes a first semi-circular magnet holder which has a first straight wall, a first curved wall, and a first top wall. A second semi-circular magnet holder has a second straight wall, a second curved wall, and a second top wall. In addition, the first straight wall includes a first magnet end reception well, and the second straight wall includes a second magnet end reception well.

Preferably, a plurality of first magnets are received in the first semi-circular magnet holder and have a first magnetic polarity orientation. A plurality of second magnets are received in the second semi-circular magnet holder and have a second magnetic polarity orientation which is opposite to the first magnetic polarity orientation.

Preferably, a plurality of third magnets are located between the first semi-circular magnet holder and the second semi-circular magnet holder. The third magnets are nested within the first magnet end reception well and the second magnet end reception well. The third magnets have a third magnetic polarity orientation which is perpendicular to both the first and the second magnetic polarity orientations.

Preferably, the bottom wall unit is connected to the first semi-circular magnet holder and the second semi-circular magnet holder.

Preferably, the first magnets and the second magnets have a magnet length, the first semi-circular magnet holder and the second semi-circular magnet holder have a magnet holder height. The magnet length is greater than the magnet holder height, whereby, when the bottom wall unit is connected to the first and second semi-circular magnet holders, a clamp-member-reception notch is provided between the first and second semi-circular magnet holders and the bottom wall unit. The bottom wall unit can include cooling fins.

The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus available to the buying public.

Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus which provides a magnet unit assembly that is attached to an oil filter with a more stable arrangement than a pair of support member lock pin reception channels.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus that employs substantially the entire periphery of a cartridge housing for securing components related to the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus thereto.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus which provides means for securing components of a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus onto a cartridge housing without the need to employ a cotter pin and a cotter pin reception channel in a retention rod.

Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus that provides single connecting means that perform the two functions of connecting the magnet assembly to the oil filter portion and of connecting the oil filter portion to the cartridge housing.

These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and the above objects as well as objects other than those set forth above will become more apparent after a study of the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a preferred embodiment of the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus of the invention fully assembled and installed on an engine block.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the embodiment of the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus shown in FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3 thereof.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 that is contained in circled region 4 thereof.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the portion of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, taken along line 5-5 thereof, wherein a peripheral clamping assembly is shown in a closed or clamping condition.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the peripheral clamping assembly shown in FIG. 5 is in an open or nonclamping condition.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationships of the housing end lip of the open-ended cartridge housing, the lid-to-housing sealing gasket, and the container-housing lid lip in relation to each other.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the magnet assembly unit shown in FIGS. 1-6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings, a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention will be described.

Turning to FIGS. 1-8, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus of the invention generally designated by reference numeral 10. In each of the figures, reference numerals are shown that correspond to like reference numerals that designate like elements shown in other figures.

In the preferred embodiment, magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus 10 includes an open-ended cartridge housing 12 which includes means for connecting to an engine block, inflow ports 16 for receiving oil flow from the engine block 11, and an outflow port 18 for sending filtered oil to the engine block 11. A block-to-housing sealing gasket 14 is connected to the open-ended cartridge housing 12 for providing a seal between the open-ended cartridge housing 12 and the engine block 11. Direction control baffles 22 are housed inside the open-ended cartridge housing 12 for directing inflow oil for magnetic treatment and for directing magnetically-treated oil to the outflow port 18. A cartridge-housing lid 50, a lid-to-housing sealing gasket 30, and a magnet assembly unit 52 are provided. A peripheral clamping assembly 24 is provided for clamping the magnet assembly unit 52, the lid-to-housing sealing gasket 30, and the cartridge-housing lid 50 to the open-ended cartridge housing 12. The cartridge-housing lid 50 is made from ferromagnetic material.

Preferably, the peripheral clamping assembly 24 includes a cartridge-housing engagement portion 58, a lid-to-housing-sealing-gasket engagement portion 60, and a magnet-assembly-unit engagement portion 62.

Preferably, the magnet assembly unit 52 includes a clamp-member-reception notch 64.

Preferably, the means for connecting to an engine block include an internally threaded portion 20 for connecting to an externally threaded engine portion.

Preferably, filtration means are housed within the open-ended cartridge housing 12.

Preferably, the open-ended cartridge housing 12 includes a housing end lip 26. Also, the cartridge-housing lid 50 includes a lid lip 28, and the lid-to-housing sealing gasket 30 is placed between the lid lip 28 and the housing end lip 26, whereby the peripheral clamping assembly 24 clamps the lid-to-housing sealing gasket 30 between the housing end lip 26 and the lid lip 28. Thereby, a liquid seal is formed between the open-ended cartridge housing 12 and the cartridge-housing lid 50.

Preferably, the peripheral clamping assembly 24 includes a pair of concave clamping members 32. Each clamping member 32 includes a cartridge-housing engagement portion 58, a lid-to-housing-sealing-gasket engagement portion 60, and a magnet-assembly-unit engagement portion 62. A hinge 34 connects the clamping members 32 together, and an over-center-toggle lock unit 36 is connected to the clamping members 32.

The over-center-toggle lock unit 36 includes a handle member 40 is connected to one of the clamping members 32. A hook-to-handle ring 42 is connected to the handle member 40, and a hook 38 located at an end portion of the other of the clamping members 32.

The over-center-toggle lock unit 36 further includes a cotter pin 54 and respective registrable cotter-pin-reception channels 56 in the handle member 40 and one of the clamping members 32.

Preferably, the lid-to-housing sealing gasket 30 includes a housing-end-lip contact portion 44, a unit-lip contact portion 46, and a clamping-member contact portion 48.

To use a fully assembled magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus 10 of the invention, the internally threaded portion 20 of the open-ended cartridge housing 12 is screwed onto the oil filter fitting 13 of the engine block 11. When the engine is operating, oil flows into the open-ended cartridge housing 12 through the inflow ports 16. Inside the open-ended cartridge housing 12, the direction control baffles 22 direct oil through the filtration means (not shown) and direct oil to flow next to the cartridge-housing lid 50. Magnetic flux lines (not shown) permeate through the cartridge-housing lid 50 into the open-ended cartridge housing 12 from the magnet assembly unit 52 which is positioned next to the cartridge-housing lid 50 outside the open-ended cartridge housing 12. As a result, ferromagnetic particles in the oil are trapped onto the inside surface of the cartridge-housing lid 50 by the magnetic flux. Then, magnetically treated oil flows out from the open-ended cartridge housing 12 and back into the engine block 11 through the outflow port 18.

To clean the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus 10, the apparatus 10 is unscrewed from the oil filter fitting 13 and residual oil inside the apparatus 10 is drained. Then, the cotter pin 54 is removed from the over-center-toggle lock unit 36, and the handle member 40 is lifted so that the hook-to-handle ring 42 disengages from the hook 38. Then, the two clamping members 32 are pulled away from each other and around the hinge 34. Then, the peripheral clamping assembly 24 is removed from the apparatus 10.

When the peripheral clamping assembly 24 is removed from the open-ended cartridge housing 12, the cartridge-housing lid 50, the lid-to-housing sealing gasket 30, and the magnet assembly unit 52 separate from the open-ended cartridge housing 12 and each other.

Then, maintenance steps can be taken. More specifically, any ferromagnetic particles residing on the inside surface of the cartridge-housing lid 50 can be cleaned off thereof. Also, the magnet assembly unit 52 can be modified or replaced. Also, any filtration means can be replaced.

After the maintenance steps have been taken, the apparatus 10 is reassembled. More specifically, the cartridge-housing engagement portions 58 of the clamping members 32 engage the housing end lip 26. The lid-to-housing-sealing-gasket engagement portions 60 of the clamping members 32 contact the clamping-member contact portion 48 of the lid-to-housing sealing gasket 30, the unit-lip contact portion 46 of the lid-to-housing sealing gasket 30 is placed on the inside of the lid lip 28, the rear side of the lid-to-housing sealing gasket 30 contacts a vertically descending wall 66 of the cartridge-housing lid 50, and the magnet-assembly-unit engagement portions 62 of the clamping members 32 engage a complementary clamp-member-reception notch 64 in the magnet assembly unit 52.

Then, the reassembled magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus 10 can be screwed back onto the oil filter fitting 13 of the engine block 11.

The magnet assembly unit 52 can take many alternative forms. For example, the magnet assembly unit 52 can be derived from the respective magnet assemblies shown and described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,053 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,758,969, both incorporated herein by reference.

Moreover, more specifically, in accordance with the present invention, the magnet assembly unit 52 can be constructed as the embodiment shown in greatest detail in FIG. 8 herein.

In this respect, more specifically, the magnet assembly unit 52 includes a first semi-circular magnet holder 70 which has a first straight wall 72, a first curved wall 74, and a first top wall 76. A second semi-circular magnet holder 80 has a second straight wall 82, a second curved wall 84, and a second top wall 86. In addition, the first straight wall 72 includes a first magnet end reception well 73, and the second straight wall 82 includes a second magnet end reception well 83. The first semi-circular magnet holder 70 and the second semi-circular magnet holder 80 are made from ferromagnetic material.

A plurality of first magnets 78 are received in the first semi-circular magnet holder 70 and have a first magnetic polarity orientation. A plurality of second magnets 88 are received in the second semi-circular magnet holder 80 and have a second magnetic polarity orientation which is opposite to the first magnetic polarity orientation.

A plurality of third magnets 90 are located between the first semi-circular magnet holder 70 and the second semi-circular magnet holder 80. The third magnets 90 are nested within the first magnet end reception well 73 and the second magnet end reception well 83. The third magnets 90 have a third magnetic polarity orientation which is perpendicular to both the first and the second magnetic polarity orientations.

The bottom wall unit 92 is connected to the first semi-circular magnet holder 70 and the second semi-circular magnet holder 80. The bottom wall unit 92 is made from ferromagnetic material.

Preferably, the first magnets 78 and the second magnets 88 have a magnet length 91, the first semi-circular magnet holder 70 and the second semi-circular magnet holder 80 have a magnet holder height 93. The magnet length 91 is greater than the magnet holder height 93, whereby, when the bottom wall unit 92 is connected to the first and second semi-circular magnet holders, a clamp-member-reception notch 64 is provided between the first and second semi-circular magnet holders and the bottom wall unit 92. The bottom wall unit 92 can include cooling fins 96.

More specifically, connecting screws 94 are used to fasten the bottom wall unit 92 to the first straight wall 72 of the first semi-circular magnet holder 70 and to the second straight wall 82 of the second semi-circular magnet holder 80. Even more specifically, a first screw-reception well 71 is located in the first straight wall 72 and receives one of the screws 94, and a second screw-reception well 81 is located in the second straight wall 82 and receives the other of the screws 94.

When the bottom wall unit 92 is connected to the first and second semi-circular magnet holders, the clamp-member-reception notch 64 receives the magnet-assembly-unit engagement portions 62 of the clamping members 32. In this way, the clamping members 32 secure the magnet assembly unit 52 to the open-ended cartridge housing 12.

The magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus 10 can be referred to as “The Black Hole” magnet system.

The components of the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus of the invention can be made from inexpensive and durable metal and plastic materials.

As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same is apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly, no further discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation need be provided.

It is apparent from the above that the present invention accomplishes all of the objects set forth by providing a new and improved magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus that is low in cost, relatively simple in design and operation, and which may advantageously be used to provide a magnet unit assembly that is attached to an oil filter with a more stable arrangement than a pair of support member lock pin reception channels. With the invention, a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus is provided which employs substantially the entire periphery of a cartridge housing for securing components related to the magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus thereto. With the invention, a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus provides means for securing components of a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus onto a cartridge housing without the need to employ a cotter pin and a cotter pin reception channel in a retention rod. With the invention, a magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus provides single connecting means that perform the two functions of connecting the magnet assembly to the oil filter portion and of connecting the oil filter portion to the cartridge housing.

Thus, while the present invention has been shown in the drawings and fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications thereof may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use.

Hence, the proper scope of the present invention should be determined only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all such modifications as well as all relationships equivalent to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification. 

1. A magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus, comprising: an open-ended cartridge housing which includes means for connecting to an engine block, inflow ports for receiving oil flow from the engine block, and an outflow port for sending filtered oil to the engine block, a block-to-housing sealing gasket connected to said open-ended cartridge housing for providing a seal between said open-ended cartridge housing and the engine block, direction control baffles housed inside said open-ended cartridge housing for directing inflow oil for magnetic treatment and for directing magnetically-treated oil to said outflow port, a cartridge-housing lid, a lid-to-housing sealing gasket, a magnet assembly unit, and a peripheral clamping assembly for clamping said magnet assembly unit, said lid-to-housing sealing gasket, and said cartridge-housing lid to said open-ended cartridge housing, wherein said peripheral clamping assembly includes a cartridge-housing engagement portion, a lid-to-housing-sealing-gasket engagement portion, and a magnet-assembly-unit engagement portion.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnet assembly unit includes a clamp-member-reception notch.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for connecting to an engine block include an internally threaded portion for connecting to an externally threaded engine portion.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further including: filtration means housed with said open-ended cartridge housing.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said open-ended cartridge housing includes a housing end lip, said cartridge-housing lid includes a lid lip, and said lid-to-housing sealing gasket is placed between said lid lip and said housing end lip, whereby said peripheral clamping assembly clamps said lid-to-housing sealing gasket between said housing end lip and said lid lip form a liquid seal between said open-ended cartridge housing and said cartridge-housing lid.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said peripheral clamping assembly includes: a pair of concave clamping members, wherein each clamping member includes said cartridge-housing engagement portion, said lid-to-housing-sealing-gasket engagement portion, and said magnet-assembly-unit engagement portion, a hinge connecting said clamping members together, and an over-center-toggle lock unit connected to said clamping members.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said over-center-toggle lock unit includes: a handle member connected to one of said clamping members, a hook-to-handle ring connected to said handle member, and a hook located at an end portion of the other of said clamping members.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said over-center-toggle lock unit further includes a cotter pin and respective registrable cotter-pin-reception channels in said handle member and one of said clamping members.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said lid-to-housing sealing gasket includes: a housing-end-lip contact portion, a unit-lip contact portion, and a clamping-member contact portion.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said magnet assembly unit includes: a first semi-circular magnet holder having a first straight wall, a first curved wall, and a first top wall, a second semi-circular magnet holder having a second straight wall, a second curved wall, and a second top wall, a plurality of first magnets received in said first semi-circular magnet holder having a first magnetic polarity orientation, a plurality of second magnets received in said second semi-circular magnet holder having a second magnetic polarity orientation which is opposite to said first magnetic orientation, a plurality of third magnets located between said first semi-circular magnet holder and said second semi-circular magnet holder, wherein said third magnets have a third magnetic polarity orientation which is perpendicular to both said first and said second magnetic polarity orientations, and a bottom wall unit which is connected to said first semi-circular magnet holder and said second semi-circular magnet holder.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein: said first magnets and said second magnets have a magnet length, said first semi-circular magnet holder and said second semi-circular magnet holder have a magnet holder height, and said magnet length is greater than said magnet holder height, whereby, when said bottom wall unit is connected to said first and second semi-circular magnet holders, a clamp-member-reception notch is provided between said first and second semi-circular magnet holders and said bottom wall unit.
 12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said bottom wall unit includes cooling fins. 